Clarinet



M. JAUCH Oct. 19, 1943.

CLARINET ATTORNEY AAA INVENTOR. 1/42/2972 Jam- BY 6 j) Patented Oct. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARINET Martin Jauch, Newark, N. J.

Application March 23,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to clarinets, and has for its object to improve the tone theieof, so as to render the outgoing tone clear, definite, and resonant.

The invention chambers in the tiating the tone,

consists in providing resonance direct path of the air flow inithese resonance chambers being so shaped as to best direct the airwaves in a manner to produce the best tones, and cooperating with tonal air columns of different lengths.

The invention consists further in providing a skeleton structure of division wall and partitions in one piece, the division walls being made of a one-piece fibre-board material, or of a suitable plastic, and the contour of the forming to the interior contour of the tube which forms the body of the clarinet, so as to iacilitate the manufacture of the improved clarinet, it being only necessary to insert this skeleton body into the tubular portion of the clarinet body and fasten it in proper position thereto. The skeleton body when attached has, of course, the tuned reeds or sound-producing parts secured thereto.

The structure forming the invention is in harmony with recognized principles of acoustics, as will be seen from the following description.

Embodiments of the invention will be hown in the drawing, and described in the description, and the invention will b finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. l is a central longitudinal section of a clarinet tube and the skeleton resonant chamber body applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of said body;

Fig. 3 is an end view;

Fig. 4 is a side view;

Figs. 5, 6 and 'Z are diagrammatic views showing the application of principles of acoustics, and

Fig. 8 is a transverse section showing'the manner in which the resonanc compartments are held in the tube.

Similar character of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a tube or horn body portion 10, with a detachable mouth-piece H, and a detachable tail-piece l2. These may be fixedly applied instead of being detachable. The tail-piece l2 closes the end of the tube and provides an air reservoir l3, which receives and holds the air blown in gently through the mouthpiece H.

A skeleton resonance chamber body a bottom wall 20. The width 2| oi the portion has wall division walls con- 1943, Serial No. 480,136

is substantially equal to the diameter of the tube l0, and this wall extends the length of the distance of the tube l0 beyond each end opening 23 in the tube. This wall 2!) is provided with a plurality of elongated slots 24, relatively narrow and extending longitudinally of the bottom wall, but spaced from each other. slot is covered by a reed 22 which has been suitably tuned to scale. At each end of each slot, a partition 25 is secured to the wall 20, and these partitions 25 have a fiat end 26 conforming to the upper surface of the wall 20, where these ends are joined to the wall 20, and have semi-circular contours 21, to conform to the inside curvature of the tube in, and to contact therewith being secured thereto by glue, cement or the like. The chambers 30 to 31 so formed are resonance chambers, and the air contents thereof passes out of the openings to 41 of the tube, which are normally closed by the finger operated valves total.

The acoustics acting in the reservoir ar controlled by the laws of closed tubes, and by a mainstream with lateral eddy currents. When such waves pass through the elongated openings, they take a direction at right angles to the length of the opening and thus strike the walls of the Hi, and are deflected thereby, as shown in Fig. 6. The passage between the reed and slot being narrow, the waves probably also enter the reservoi chamber according to the Huyghens principle shown in Fig. 5. (The Dynamic Theory of Sound, Horace Lamb, 1925.) The waves deflected from all directions in the resonant chambers are then difiracted under the Huyghens principle and emanate from the valve opening in semi-spherical form as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It will be noted that the direction from the reservoir to the valved opening is in substantially a straight line, whereby the mainstream of air passes through the valved opening, and any eddy serves to add resonance movements in the resonance chambers. Thus, the resonance chambers and reed slots and valved opening are aligned.

The air column extending from the mouthpiece to the acts under the principle of closed tubes, and sets up nodes at different points depending upon the length and pressure applied. The valved openings have an increasing distance from the mouthpiece. Hence, when the openings are exposed to the atmosphere by the opening of the valve, each successive one from the mouthpiece has a longer column of air. By such openings of the valves, the columns of air are of different length in consonance with the pitch of the reeds, which have been each given a diiferent tone. It is to be particularly noted that a very gentle Zephyr-like breath is all that is necessary to actuate any reed on the opening of a corresponding valve opening.

The operation is as follows:

Air is blown gently into the reservoir l3. The cooperation of the parts is such that only a gentle blowing is necessary, thus requiring no skill to produce the music. The air from thisreservoir then passes through a slot 24 and reed 22, and the corresponding resonance chamber of the valved opening is opened by the finger operating upon the valve which normally closes the open ing. Two or more valves can be opened at the same time to get chord-like tones.

A preferred manner of holding the resonance at right angles to the plane of said wall and the partitions being at right angles to said wall.

2. In a clarinet-like musical instrument, the combination of a cylindrical tube open at one end and closed at the other to form a closed air column, and having spaced valved openings therein, and a separate resonance chamber member consisting of a wall greater than the length of the valved opening, and of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the .tube, with a spaced elongatedslot in said wall having covering reeds and with spaced partitions disposed equally distant from the valved opening, the chambers formed by a part of the tube, by said wall and partitions forming the separate resonance chamher one. for each valved opening, and the plane of the wall being at right angles to the line passchaniber skeleton shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 in the tube in is to insert the structure as there shown with a semi-circular or half tube 50 about the length of the wall 20, which half tube due to a slight frictional action holds the resonance compartments tightly in place.

The improved clarinet may be made of various sizes to correspond to the tenor, alto, etc., renditions, and the reeds may be so disposed as to vibrate either by the inward blowing as above described, or by suction action at the mouthpiece, or by blowing and suction alternately upon the same reed.

The invention is then a partitioned plate applied to a semi-circular portion of the tube or horn I0, forming resonance chambers from which the tone directly emanates from the valved openings, without the production of frequencies producing noises. It will be noted that the axial line passing through the centers of the valved openings is at right angles to the wall supporting the partitions. Also that the reservoir acts to provide different lengths of air columns depending on the valved opening which is opened to the atmosphere.

I have described several forms of my invention, but obviously various changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set out in the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A musical instrument comprising a substantially cylindrical elongated tube having valved openings therein, having a mout-piece at one end and a closure at the other end to form a closed air column, a wall having elongated slots extending across the tube at substantially its diameter, partitions of curved contours on said wall and closing the spaces therebetween by the walls of the tube to form separate resonance chambers each in communication with one of the openings in the tube, the axial line passing through the center of the valved openings being ing through the axis of the valved opening.

3. A musical instrument comprising a substantially cylindrical elongated tube having aligned valved openin s in the, tub with a mouth-piece at ne end and a closu e t t e other end, a plurality of separate compartments each in communication with one of said valved openings in the tube and each having an entrance openin said compartments dividina th interior of the tube o p ra re onance h m e comm nicatin d ec ly with aid valved openings and int an air column ommon to all compartments and exterior-to all resonance chambers, and in communica i n with a h r onan e chamber hrou h h ntranc p n ns. and reeds tuned to scale on said en ranc p nn ch r ed bein in line with one of said valved openings. whereby upon the opening of one of said valved openin s the common air column vibrates the reed aligned with the opened va pening, and the air from. said column asse thro h he re onance hamber mpa tm nt and through he valve o enin 4. In a musical ins rum n having, a hollow tube with spaced valve openings. with a mouthpiece for the entrance of air at one end, and closure at the other end formin a Closed column of air within the tube, the combination of a plurality of partitions one at each side of each valve opening or the tube, arran ed to provide a pa r of partitions for each valve openin a wall common to a l said partitions and havin spaced air openings, one opening for each valved opening, said wall extending across the tube about at its longitudinal. center, and having reeds over said wall openings, said wall. and partition forming a plurality of separateresenance chambers, one for each valve opening, whereby the divided out closed air column in thetube operates the reed corresponding to the opening valveopening,

in the resonan e Chamber and exhausting through the opened valve opening.

MARTIN JAUCH. 

